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Yaseen and Rana were among the many refugees who had
to flee again, this time towards Jordan. Along with
more than 1,000 refugees, they were trapped in the
no man's land between Iraq and Jordan. A solution to
their situation seemed beyond reach and they were
now living in a remote desert area, tortured by
scalding temperatures in the day and wintry
conditions at night.
But their luck changed. On November 24, 2004, after
nearly two years in no man's land, they arrived in
the small town of Kristianstad in the south of
Sweden. Now, half a year later, they are living a
normal life. They have their own three-room
apartment and the children are going to nursery
school. They are paying bills and have an income
like most families in Sweden.
But compared to native Swedes, they have more
baggage and have to try harder to get by smoothly in
society every day. The last few months have been a
time of adjustment, struggle and misunderstandings,
but also achievements, happiness and relief. They
consider themselves lucky and can finally afford to
be optimistic about their future.
"After a few weeks my daughter asked me when we
would go back to the camp and visit our friends. I
got a bit upset and asked her if she wasn't happy to
have a roof over her head, food on the table and a
bed to sleep in... And she was," says Yaseen. He
admits he also thinks about the camp and of course
misses friends and relatives he had to leave behind.
"I think a lot about my brother who was left behind
in the no man's land camp, about what will happen to
him. I wish he also will be lucky and be able to
come to Sweden or some other country, and that he
will get a chance to start again."
(At the end of May this year, all 743 people
remaining in the no man's land camp were transferred
to Ruweished camp 60 km inside Jordan.)
A self-taught artist, Yaseen looks at the world
through an artist's eyes. "Sometimes when I walk
around town, I think about how different the world
can seem. They are different worlds, different
times. In some way I'm part of both. Here, I'm
walking among tall buildings and I'm surrounded by
advanced technology. But at the same time, my mind
is used to life in the camp, which compared to this,
is to go back a hundred years in time."
He adds, "I dream that one day, I will be able to
make a living with my art." This is a dream he has
had for many years. But this dream has to wait;
first he has to learn Swedish. "It is the most
important thing right now. To know Swedish will be
my key to success."
Yaseen goes to his Swedish lessons every morning and
to a conversation group in the afternoon. "Next time
we meet I will talk to you in Swedish," he says with
a smile. He has already learnt a lot. He thinks his
earlier knowledge of English has been a great help
in learning Swedish. Another explanation is
determination, hard work and an understanding of the
importance of mastering the local language.
Yaseen shows us a bunch of letters which he keeps in
a bag. He is looking for something that will state
his and his wife's income during the last three
months. Finally he finds what he is looking for; he
will need it to apply for an additional allowance to
pay a dentist's bill. To fill in forms, visit the
authorities and pay bills are things the family has
to learn in order to stand on their own feet. Rana's
niece, who has lived in Sweden for 10 years, has
been a tremendous help. Another person who can help
out when a letter needs to be translated, or an
appointment has to be booked, is Yaseen's Swedish
teacher. Without their help, they do not know how
they would have managed in the first couple of
months.
Meanwhile, Rana is completing her induction course,
which provides information about basic structures
and how to cope in Swedish society. For this, they
get an induction allowance which is equivalent to a
salary and is therefore dependent on their
attendance in class. Before Rana could start her
course however, she had to wait for the kids to be
placed in nursery school. Now she can leave them
there every day. "They like it and I trust the
teachers, I'm sure they are taking good care of my
children." At this point, neither Rana nor the
children can speak to the nursery school staff, but
she hopes she will be able to do that soon.
They want to help their children to become part of
society, to be able to join all activities the
municipality can offer, like swimming lessons, day
trips in the area and language training. Yaseen and
Rana have been informed about these activities at
the induction course, but so far their children have
not been able to participate.
However, Rana is sure that these initial
difficulties will fade away and that the family will
be able to integrate in Swedish society soon.
UNHCR Stockholm
www.unhcr.ch
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